Recorded for Posterity by Iain Walker.
Prologue Part 1 Index Session 1.1
The Gap 103 PPF to 113 PPF
Next morning Tristan sends us all notes. He has prepared an agenda for a meeting to discuss 'grave matters'.
Owen ignores this and bounces around a practise room. However, he does turn up to the meeting in time.
Damien reads the morning papers before going to Tristan's meeting. There is a big spread in the society pages about last nights reception for the Chaos ambassador.
Tristans memo is regarding Evander and Trump reading suggesting he is not Brand's son. It is as follows:
Since Evander intends to walk the Pattern as soon as possible, I decided that I should try to confirm that Brand is his father, given that he will not survive the attempt should he not be related to the Family. Therefore I consulted the Trumps; the reading indicated that he is possibly distantly related to Benedict, but is definitely not Brand's son. As I see it, these are the possible explanations for this reading:
For some reason the Trumps have given me the wrong answer and Evander is in fact Brand's son.
There are three sub-possibilities to this.
These last two explanations are very disturbing since we must consider the possibility that this deceit is part of a plot against Amber, and we should perhaps be wary about allowing him to walk the Pattern.
When we have all met up (in one of the small dining rooms), Lucien (Beltaine's major-domo) appears to tell them that Beltaine has fallen ill - a relapse of the illness she suffered after walking the Pattern, it seems.
Damien wonders if there is any advantage to doing a second Trump reading and comparing it with the results of Tristan's.
Owen thinks it is likely that the truth is only known to a small group of people in Chaos.
Tristan says he has informed the King, and Benedict, but there has been no reply from either yet.
We wonder what Chaos might want (if it is a deception) with someone with a Pattern imprint? There is no tactical advantage, we speculate, so it could be a pre-requisite for something else - involving the Jewel of Judgement, perhaps?
We decide to await the King's decision regarding letting Evander walk the Pattern.
Ibrahim goes to have the food and drink from last night tested to make sure Beltaine has not actually been poisoned. He finds that Random has already set such an investigation in motion. There is no evidence of poisoning.
Tamarind goes off to do another Trump reading, asking the question, "Is there a son of Brand?"
Damien has breakfast.
Ibrahim and Damien then go and visit Beltaine. Damien brings flowers and the society pages from the papers. Beltaine looks ill. From looking at her it does seem to be the post-Pattern illness she suffered before.
The two of them do 'cheering-up-the-invalid' stuff.
Tamarind performs his reading. The answer seems to be an unambiguous 'No.' Beltaine does appear in the reading.
Gerard, Flora and Esmée are at breakfast too.
Damien offers to help Beltaine with the arrangements for the party she was arranging on the 'Demeter' (her yacht). He goes to find Esmée to drag her into it as well.
Tristan goes to see Random. Random has seen the note, and wants to know more. Until then, he says, don't do anything that might be construed as hostile. Yes, we can tell Evander. And he needn't walk the Pattern yet, anyway...
We all meet up to go on the tour of the City and Damien's Museum, The Amber Museum of Arts and Antiquities, arranged previously. Two carriages are waiting. The Chaosites haven't arrived yet. We bring each other up to date. Just as we finish, the Chaosites turn up.
We and the Chaosites pile into the carriages, and off we go.
We point out the sights to the Chaosites as we go. Evander is impressed - he says they don't have cities like this in Chaos - theirs are much more three-dimensional.
Owen tells Evander about the Trump reading. Evander looks taken aback. "This is most unexpected," he says. He says his mother always insisted that Brand was his father, and looks troubled. He says he'll speak to Tristan (Tristan being in the other carriage).
As we go down off the plateau and into the newer areas of the city some people we pass look hostile. In fact a mob of them seem to be blocking the way ahead.
The carriages have to stop.
Owen gets down and asks them, nicely, to get out of the way.
Some do. "Get them!" shouts a voice. Half bricks and things are thrown at us.
Damien begins to Trump the Amber courtyard to take Telgadi and the Agrazal through to safety.
Tamrind does the same with Evander, but not before a half-brick flies through the carriage window and hits Evander in the head.
Owen, in the middle of the mob, tries to lead the carriage he was in through the mob, catching half bricks thrown at him, and saying, politely but firmly, "Please get out of the way."
Tristan finds himself having to deflect a crossbow bolt. He succeeds in doing so.
Damien makes contact with the arrival courtyard and passes the Ambassador and the Agrazal through to the castle. Tamarind likewise passes Evander (bleeding from his head wound) through.
Tristan calls back to the castle via Trump and sends cavalry down to the city to break up the riot (as it now is).
By now Owen has led the first carriage through most of the mob. He collars a local and gets him to drive it back to the palace.
Ibrahim drives the second carriage out through the gap Owen has created.
Tamarind Trumps Flora to tell her what has happened.
Damien goes after a ringleader. He runs off. Damien follows.
Owen asks a rioter why they're doing this. The rioter doesn't seem sure. He hits Owen. Owen takes it. And again. Others join in. Owen doesn't fight back.
The rest of the crowd are mostly drawing away.
Tamarind reads the Minor Fracas Act at those left.
Damien shoots the running ringleader in the knee with his crossbow. He falls over. Damien then discourages a few other rioters who followed.
Owen suggests to the other rioters (while he's still being beaten up by them) that they could discuss their grievances over lunch.
The city watch turn up, and the rest of the rioters run. Owen follows one of them (stealthily).
Ibrahim orders the watch to look after the injured and to patrol the area.
Tamarind Trumps Damien. Damien goes through, bringing the thug/ringleader through with him.
In the castle, Tristan smarms to the Chaosites. Evander's wound heals very quickly, visibly even.
Owen follows his rioter to an inn, follows him in, and buys him a beer. He asks the rioter what that was all about.
Damien checks that people in the area where the crossbow bolt came from are being questioned. Then he and Tamarind Trump back to Amber with his prisoner.
Ibrahim remains behind to oversee the clearing up operation. He has the half-brick that injured Evander checked for poison.
In the inn, Owen talks to the rioter. He says it's the housing redevelopment in the slums of the new city. People are not being re-housed after being forced from their slum homes to make way for redevelopment. "Biddy," and some others said they should fight back. Biddy is a big guy with a shaven head and a scar on his face.
Owen dispenses Citizen's Advice to the man (whose name in Trevor).
Trevor takes Owen off and shows him the inadequate housing they're forced to move to - they're just jerry-built slum dwellings. Owen wants to make sure everyone will be properly re-housed when their current houses are pulled down, and tells Trevor so.
He leaves, and returns to the Palace by Trumping Tristan.
In the castle, Damien sends the prisoner off to be treated for his knee puncture, and interrogated.
Then he follows Tamarind off to where Tristan and the Chaosites are. At about the same time, Owen goes through the Trump link to Tristan.
Ibrahim finishes the arrangements at the site of the riot, and arranges for future patrols and similar activities. He rides back to the castle.
Random Trumps Tristan and demands an explanation.
The Ambassador thinks it is best to postpone the planned visit to the Museum for now. He would like to speak to the King.
Ibrahim arrives at the castle, and finds that both carriages have been retrieved. He finds the crossbow bolt still embedded in the first carriage. He has it examined for clues.
Owen writes a note to the Amber building contractors telling them he wants to see them all.
Damien goes to the infirmary to see the prisoner.
Tamarind and Owen are left looking after the Chaosites. They take them to see some more of the Palace gardens, once they've changed. They have an outdoor lunch there, by a fountain.
Tristan goes to see the King, to make an appointment to make an appointment for the Ambassador. Random will see Telgadi at 1 PM (an hour hence). Tristan goes to tell Telgadi this, arriving at lunch in the gardens.
Tristan then Trumps Caine. Caine is investigating the riot.
After lunch, Tristan takes the ambassador to see Random, then talks to Evander in the gardens. Tamarind plays the Fountain Song.
Owen lectures Tristan on changing the law to protect tenants rights. Tristan offers him the job of Housing Commissioner. Owen offers to set a commission up.
Tristan talks to Evander about his not being a son of Brand. Despite looking like him a lot. Evander mentions his earlier conversation on this topic, and says there were pictures of Brand where he grew up.
Damien talks to the prisoner. He says that a person wearing a big hat and a cloak paid him and others to riot and get others to riot. It was in the Red Halibut Inn, on Doik Street, the day before yesterday - before the ambassador arrived, and just after we heard he was coming. He says that detailed directions (where and when to riot) came only today. A kid gave them a note (Damien gets a description of the kid). Their orders were to riot and stop the carriages.
He says he doesn't know anything about the crossbow person.
Damien Trumps Tristan and relates all of this to him. Tristan Trumps Caine to see if he has anything new to add. Caine doesn't.
Ibrahim receives a note regarding the crossbow bolt. It's an ordinary type, pretty much untraceable. There are no fingerprints on it, but it is poisoned - with a poison of Chaos origin, one which inhibits shapeshifting. The note also says that not all of Amber's stocks of same are accounted for - a vial is missing.
Tamarind goes and starts a Trump sketch of Evander.
Ibrahim reports what has been found out to Tristan. Tristan puts more guards on the armoury. Ibrahim tries to find out more about the poison, and takes extra security measures.
Telgadi summons Evander to come with him. They (and the Agrazal, of course) go to see Random again.
Tristan and Ibrahim go with them, and wait outside. They can hear the Ambassador shouting through the door. Tristan tries to Trump Caine, but doesn't get through. Random can be heard shouting back.
Damien turns up.
The Ambassador stomps out of Random's office, followed by the Agrazal and Evander. The Ambassador looks angry. Evander looks a bit scared and unhappy. Telgadi says he has decided to cut off negotiations and return to Chaos. Immediately.
Random tells us he wants us to escort them back to Chaos.
It seems a photocopy of the report about the poison was sent to the ambassador's quarters - along with a typed note - "Please find enclosed information which may be of use to you in your negotiations, signed, A Friend."
Now the Ambassador is going off in a huff.
Evander says that the note was on a table - so someone must have got into the Ambassador's quarters somehow.
Random wants us to get together in the main courtyard to escort the Chaosites back to Chaos.
Ibrahim gets Owen to show him the secret passages near the Ambassador's quarters. He does, and upon arrival they find there are no footprints in the dust - despite Tristan having been there the night before and having left a track. The dust has been redistributed to cover the tracks - it seems to indicate that someone has been hiding their tracks. It also looks as if one of the secret doors to the Ambassador's rooms has been opened from inside the room, as if Trumps were used to get in. Possibly.
They search around and find a possible exit whoever it was could have used hidden in a cleaners cupboard nearby.
By now, Tamarind has finished his Trump sketch of Evander.
Tristan comes and tells him what has been happening.
Damien goes and tells Beltaine what has happened.
She wants to come too to see the Chaosites off. Damien tries to convince her just to say goodbye, not go all the way to Chaos and back in her present state.
Everyone turns up in the courtyard. Random offers Evander the opportunity to stay if he likes. He decides to stay.
Telgadi gives Evander a warning look. Evander steps away from him towards Beltaine, and apologises to Telgadi.
Random uses the 'super-Trump' of the edge of the Abyss, and opens the link. He passes us, the Ambassador and the Agrazal through. We all appear by the Abyss, next to the gate of the main Amber fortress. The Courts themselves are visible in the distance, off over the Abyss.
The doors to the fortress swing open and guards emerge.
Telgadi says he will summon a 'filmy' to return himself and the Agrazal to the Courts. He says he doesn't know who Evander's father was - he thought it was Brand.
We say goodbye to the Ambassador and he summons a filmy to the edge of the Abyss. As it arrives he comments "I am sorry that things between us must be as they now are." He and the Agrazal step onto the filmy and are carried off. They are quickly lost to view.
We go and find Lord Feldane who commands the Chaos garrison, to be Trumped back to Amber.
Suddenly there is a flare of light over the Abyss - an explosion in the Courts of Chaos. Parts of it fall away into the Abyss.
Tristan summons an eagle of his desire and sends a message about this to Benedict.
Damien steps to the edge of the Abyss and summons a filmy.
The left hand half of the Courts seems to disintegrate and fall into the Abyss.
Damien, Owen and Ibrahim step aboard the filmy and begin to travel across the Abyss towards the Courts on it. Tristan Trumps Damien and stays in contact with him as they travel.
Ibrahim is Trumped by Tamarind, who tells him that this is insane. Fair point.
The last of the Courts of Chaos blows up and tumbles into the Abyss. The filmy begins to unravel, so Tristan hauls Damien, Ibrahim and Owen back through the Trump link.
It looks as if the entrance/anchor point of the Courts of Chaos has been destroyed. Damien assumes the various closed realms of Chaos still exist - now permanently sealed off?
Tristan sends another message to Benedict, and everyone returns to Amber...
Ten years pass...
Prologue Part 1 Index Session 1.1
The Gap 103 PPF to 113 PPF